Conventional husbands of the sixties quaked
when their wives discovered Ms magazine
and The Feminine Mystique.
We looked in the mirror and discovered
our eyes had grown determined.
Our wings flapped and fluttered
against confines
until we bent the bars
with the force of our will,
popped the cage door open,
and burst through.
There is as much pain in birthing self
as birthing others.
Much bleeding, and much healing.
Some thoughts in desperate midnights
of giving up,
but we stuck around in hopes
it would get better.
And, for a time, it did,
beyond our wildest dreams.
beyond our wildest dreams.
The jackals had come
to feast upon our bones,
but a wily raven warned us,
so we spirited them away.
Within the forest deep,
we put ourselves back together
with owl songs and wing feathers,
and learned a language
of our own making.
Then we re-entered our lives
as ourselves,
no longer
someone else's daydream.
Scratch a Baby Boomer and find a feminist, lol. In the early 70's, womens' consciousnesses were rising all over the place. It was a heady time. My chauvinist soon-to-be-ex was appalled at the developments. We are a formidable force, once provoked. Some orange-cheeked "leaders" would do well not to underestimate us. The regime in the States is trying to block women from voting by not recognising their married names. Good grief.
So many good lines in this poem, Sherry. I love the line about as much pain in birthing ourselves as in birthing others! And the line about entering our lives as ourselves. A powerful poem, which makes me remember those times when women became strong!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I had to smile at the word "quaked". Every word is throbbing with energy and power Sherry. The combination of myth, nature and history is simply outstanding. "There is as much pain in birthing self / as birthing others." Great lines! And my favorite.
ReplyDelete"There is as much pain in birthing self
ReplyDeleteas birthing others.
Much bleeding, and much healing."
I remember. You tell the tale well, with power words and images: "we put ourselves back together
with owl songs and wing feathers,"
WOW!
I think the line about "scratch a Boomer, find a feminist" shows that some people are still clinging to denial.
ReplyDeleteA feminist is anyone who thinks women are equally as valuable as men. Joining or agreeing with any specific organization or spokeswoman is optional.
So, there was a time when most jobs involved the heavy labor that men do best and "But men are worth more on a work site" was a valid argument. In that time "feminist" was not synonymous with "rational competent person."
No longer.
A great poem, Sherry, with wonderful turns of phrase. Unfortunately, the great feminist dream hasn't been realised yet, with only small advances having been made so far. There is still a lot of inequality, and so often, it is women themselves that undermine progress - as if it were not enough that many men still view women as a "lower life-form"...
ReplyDeleteHello, Sherry. Direct link to the song that you requested: https://youtu.be/Jg2yT9nQbq4?si=SrmAy5XjNB5vhSZ_
DeleteThere are many bars to stretch and bend in life - I am glad that at times we can move them - Jae
ReplyDeleteBaby Boomer memories...We shall not we shall not be moved...It's taking a while but we'll get there eventually.
ReplyDeletemy mom turns 90 in 2 months so predated boomers, and is still quite active. she worked her entire life beginning in early teens. she went to college in some ways to spite her father (hah!), left the Air Force when they tried to push her to a desk job, and had the moniker Dragon Lady when she was still working. she attends No Kings rallies and has zero compunction of telling you her opinion if she thinks you're being a dumdum (read, anyone orange tinted.) i think she'd like this poem ~
ReplyDelete"Within the forest deep,
ReplyDeletewe put ourselves back together
with owl songs and wing feathers,
and learned a language
of our own making."
This is so beautiful, Sherry.
Where did it all go? We need more people standing up, and particularly more women.